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U.S. Military Bases In Europe Depend On Russian Energy

As Russia aims to tighten its grip over European energy supply, especially in natural gas with the controversial Nord Stream 2 pipeline project, Europe’s energy dependence on Moscow is a concern for U.S. lawmakers who worry that American military bases in Europe also depend on energy from Russia.

U.S. lawmakers are calling upon the Department of Defense to cut reliance on Russian energy at military bases in Europe, and to introduce sanctions against the Nord Stream 2 project.

Defense Logistics Agency data show that close to 40 percent of oil used at military sites in Germany comes from Russia. In southwestern Germany, for example, the Ramstein Air Base serves as the headquarters for U.S. Air Forces in Europe and is also a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) installation.

U.S. bases need backup power supply to ensure reliable electricity and other energy supplies should a power outage occur, or should the energy supply be compromised, Constance Douris, Vice President of the Lexington Institute, writes.

The backup supply could come from microgrids capable of operating off the main grid, bulk energy storage, and even electric vehicles (EVs) whose batteries can be used to power homes, Douris argues.

Backup solutions for U.S. military bases are imperative in the face of the constantly growing Russian energy supply to Europe, she says.


More: https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/US-Military-Bases-In-Europe-Depend-On-Russian-Energy.html

Mueller's Digging Exposes Culture of Foreign Lobbying and Its Big Paydays

WASHINGTON — The mandate given to Robert S. Mueller III and his team was broad: to investigate not just Russian election interference but also any related crimes they might unearth. So when this group of seasoned prosecutors began rooting around Washington, they pounced on a ripe target — lobbyists taking millions of dollars from foreign governments.

At the trial of Paul Manafort, an unflattering picture has emerged of lawyers, lobbyists and consultants from both political parties winning big paydays for work on behalf of a Kremlin-aligned former Ukrainian strongman. Some spent the money on cars and homes, prosecutors said, and a jacket made of ostrich for Mr. Manafort.

The vigor with which Mr. Mueller has investigated the flows of foreign money from Ukraine, Turkey and other countries into Washington could be as much a part of his legacy as special counsel as whatever he discovers about possible collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign or presidential obstruction of justice.

The Manafort case is part of a broader inquiry into the lucrative work done on behalf of the former president of Ukraine, Viktor F. Yanukovych, and Mr. Mueller has handed some elements of the investigation to prosecutors in Manhattan. Beyond the special counsel’s office, the Justice Department has also recently been pursuing foreign influence cases with greater urgency.


Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/01/us/politics/fara-foreign-agents-mueller.html?action=click&module=Ribbon&pgtype=Article



Over the past year, Robert S. Mueller III and the Justice Department have pursued cases both under the Foreign Agents Registration Act and related to foreign influence operations more broadly. Credit: J. Scott Applewhite/Associated Press

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